Better Than None
by Canadino
Summary: Roger and Eric's relationship is, quite simply, complicated. A kick in the teeth may be good for some; a kiss with a fist is better than none. Altered Beast AU, FYL! Roger/Eric


**Disclaimer: The only thing I own is the story idea and only some of the witty remarks. I own so little; so please don't steal.**

Background music: Kiss with a Fist – Florence + the Machine

Better than None

_You hit me once, I hit you back. You gave a kick, I gave a slap. You smashed a plate over my head, then I set fire to our bed._

His breath came in shallow gasps, his dark eyes flashing as he searched for a remaining flame. When no orange glow became apparent, his hand aiming the extinguisher lowered slightly; letting out a final sigh of relief, Roger turned to Eric, who seemed to be attempting to merge with the wall. "Well," the dark boy said lowly. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Eric, who had been looking at the white, charred, foamy bed, glanced over with sharp blue eyes; the flames in them had not been doused just yet. He stared at Roger, exhausted and clutching the red fire extinguisher, and blinked, feeling his left eye start to lose feeling as the puffy black eye stretched, yawned and awoke.

"I don't want to see you anymore."

[=]

"Now that's an unpleasant sight."

Roger, who had been trying to act completely natural climbing around the shrubbery and vegetation and crushing the plants underfoot, shifted his head at the acknowledgement; Sam was standing in front of the dormitory, weight on his right foot as he surveyed the scene in front of him.

"I know, right," Roger said, not bothering to make it a question as he squashed some leaves as he made his way flat against the wall to a window. "Is Eric home?"

"I think the more important question is why are you lurking around the dorm of a college that you do not currently attend?" Sam shot back, as Roger ignored him and peeked through the window like a very conspicuous thief. "And for your information, Eric's room is one the other side of the building on the third floor."

Roger's fist hit brick before he finally turned to Sam. "When you're finally done with your snarky comments, I'd like to know where your brother is."

Sam sighed, knowing he was obviously not gaining any ground on the subject matter. He directed his eyes to the sky and hoped that by not looking, Roger would get the hint and get out of there. But when he looked back to his dorm, Roger was still staring absolutely at him, back to the building. Sam sighed again, feeling irritation sink in.

"Eric will not be back for a while." They were at a conversation standstill. "Would you like to come in for crumpets and tea?" Sam continued sarcastically. "I'm sure we've got enough in our pantry for you."

"Thank you." Disregarding the wellbeing of the bushes he was shoving his way through, Roger dislocated himself from the flora around the dorm and brushed himself off as Sam rolled his eyes. Sam, for all his words, did not seem to have the energy or willpower to actually extract Roger from the premises and said nothing when the young man followed him through the doors and stood silently when Sam signed him in as a guest.

"If you're here to see my brother," Sam grounded out, the pen writing thick and black as he pushed the words into the paper, "I don't want to turn around and see you flirting with any of the uni freshmen."

"Freshmen hardly interest me," Roger said aimlessly, looking around the foyer, before feeling Sam's eyes burn into him. "Besides Eric, of course."

"You two aren't even together anymore."

"I beg to differ."

"I hardly consider on-and-off flings as anything close to a relationship," Sam scoffed, flicking the pen back onto the desk and beckoning Roger to follow. "Not when each time Eric gets his hopes that maybe you've _changed_, and of course, being the bastard you are, you haven't, and then you two fight and the vicious cycle circles over and over…" He waved his hand around to demonstrate his point. "In my opinion, you guys were separated the time he set your bed on fire."

"You seemed to be okay with it back at the Academy."

"Before I knew you were never serious about him. I should have known all along. You always teased and strung him along and I just watched because I thought you'd get serious or he'd lose interest and I guess I was just too late to stop the pyromania." Sam looked over his shoulder with a dark look Roger recognized from Eric's face, although it was utterly devoid of any doubt. "But I guess it was for the best; he learned to defend himself, at the very least."

"I did not touch him like that."

"_Excuse me_? As I recall, during one fight he slugged you in the jaw and you proceeded to break his leg!" Sam's voice was resounding through the hallway, and Roger did not cringe. "And when he came home smelling like smoke, he had a black eye he didn't bother putting ice on." They rounded the staircase. "I hesitate to call it domestic violence, because I would be admitting that Eric returned the favor to you."

Roger snorted, shoving his hands in his pockets. "You wouldn't understand," he said, his voice deep.

"You're right; I don't." Sam stopped at the top of the staircase, waiting as Roger walked next to him. "I don't understand why you would come here of all places to visit someone who took a pack of matches, lit one, and threw it with the intention of burning your house down."

Roger chuckled, an almost animalistic quality overcoming his features and making Sam grimace. "There's something about your brother, you know," he said, closing his mouth before never elaborating.

"How's Jack?" Sam asked, deciding to switch the subject as they walked down the corridor, taking a moment to nod at a hallmate who shrank away from the demeanor Roger carried down the hall. "You're still in touch with him?"

"He's got problems of his own," Roger said vaguely. "He has to get his life together."

A flicker of concern crossed Sam's face, before it settled back to passive aggression. "I don't remember hearing that he and Simon broke up."

"They didn't." Roger disregarded Sam's frown of acquisition. "But mark my words, it's coming. He's too messed up to keep Simon."

"Simon's a good kid," Sam grumbled. "What is it with you stupid men dirtying up the best ones?" He turned without warning into a common room, without turning around to see if Roger followed him. Indeed, Roger nearly walked right by and stood in the doorway as Sam opened the mumbling fridge and tossed a can of lukewarm soda at him.

"When is Eric going to be back?"

"You don't quit, do you?"

"I could start on you. You getting any?"

"I am quite happy with my girlfriend, thank you very much." Sam gave him a steely look and Roger resisted the urge to throw the soda onto the carpet in spite. He did not have to bother with Sam. It was not his problem Sam had grown into a pissy little shit since middle school, when he had been all jokes and pranks. He was not here for Sam. He opened his mouth to ask about Eric again.

"What are you doing here?"

The voice was so similar to Sam's that Roger nearly jumped out of his skin, only to be assured that Sam's teleportation was _not_ the case; the twin's dark face mirrored the one Roger turned to see. Eric was standing behind him, bag of books slung over one shoulder and a scowl on his face. For a moment, Roger could not remember why he was standing in the dorm of a place he was not familiar with, holding a sticky bottle of horse piss.

He didn't quite get to the point of why he had come to see Eric, whom he deemed high maintenance, needy, and rather annoying and whiny, but he pulled Eric's arm and kissed him anyway, in full view of the whole hallway and room, where he heard Sam's sound of disapproval. For a moment, he could remember the choir room and the shy way Eric used to look at him before something hard and knuckle-shaped collided with his chin and he nearly bit his own tongue off. Backing away with a snarl, he held his throbbing chin. Eric shook his fist, red from the impact, red like his face. "I said I didn't want to see you anymore."

"You say that all the time, dear," Roger retorted, a thick smirk working itself across his mouth. "But you never push me away."

Eric had the decency to look embarrassed.

Sam did not feel the need. "Now when you two are done fucking around, I hope to come back and find the room in its original order. If you must draw blood, please do it in the bathroom, where it is easier to clean up." Sam passed between them to get to the door, turning toward his brother with the expression of _we'll talk later about this_ that Roger no longer needed to see to know. He slammed the door behind him, and in one fluid motion, Eric dropped his books and sidled up to Roger, sliding his hands up the taller boy's chest.

"_This_ will be the last time," he gritted out, looking absolutely sour.

"I'm not that easy to get rid of," Roger growled, and bit Eric's lip when the twin kicked him hard in the shin. His tongue ran over the gap in Eric's teeth where he had knocked the pearly white out, and in return hissed when Eric pressed his thumb in a spot in his arm where he had broken it before. If the walls could talk, they would have already have moved away from the collisions and sighed when the bedroom door closed and prayed when the shouting started.

Owari

[=]

Note: Roger and Eric's relationship is complicated. I, like Sam, hesitate to call it abuse. They both get riled up and physical, that's all. Roger's a commitment phob. Eric doesn't like to share. It's pretty complicated, and it's been that way ever since middle schools. Thanks for reading!


End file.
